Course #BB102 Teaching Mindfulness: Breathing for Healthy Body and Mind

Teaching Mindfulness with Beryl Bender Birch, Director/Founder of The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute and The Give Back Yoga Foundation, best selling author of Power Yoga and Boomer Yoga, and yoga teacher for almost 40 years. Based on a simple yoga breathing technique, this course is designed for teachers and health care practitioners who wish to learn a mindfulness technique they can teach to their students and clients. This is an easy to learn practice that can be used as a meditation technique or as a way to minimize the negative effects of stress on health and help those coping with depression, insomnia, or any anxiety disorder. This course explains the scientific basis for mindfulness based practices and shows why being mindful (paying attention to the present moment) helps us to turn on the relaxation response and calm down. This leads directly to a healthier and happier mind and body. Several sample practices are included that can be used on a daily basis to feel more relaxed, balanced, joyful, and content. Topics covered:

• Why breathing helps relieve stress
• Get in touch with natural breath
• How to practice and introduce it to students (slowly and progressively)
• Things to pay attention to when introducing the practice
• Way to begin (following two classes)
• Pay attention to how BBB uses language in the following practices for beginners and students

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS: Participants will receive a certificate for 10 accredited hours of online continuing education from The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute, which are eligible for the Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Program for registered yoga teachers.